Project description:To identify genes involved in the developmental process of Atlantic salmon smoltification, gene expression was compared between smolt and parr in tissues involved in osmoregulation (gill), metabolism (liver), imprinting (olfactory rosettes) and neuroendocrine control (hypothalamus and pituitary). Tissue samples were harvested from laboratory-reared parr and smolts on the same date. Smolts were distinguished from parr by size and appearance; developmental status was confirmed by physiological assays.
Project description:To identify genes involved in the developmental process of Atlantic salmon smoltification, gene expression was compared between smolt and parr in tissues involved in osmoregulation (gill), metabolism (liver), imprinting (olfactory rosettes) and neuroendocrine control (hypothalamus and pituitary). Tissue samples were harvested from laboratory-reared parr and smolts on the same date. Smolts were distinguished from parr by size and appearance; developmental status was confirmed by physiological assays. Eight biological replicates (16 fish) balanced for sex and for dye were used in the liver, gill, olfactory rosette, and hypothalamus comparisons. Four male parr were compared to four male smolts and four female parr were compared to four female smolts; smolts were labeled with Alexa Fluor 555 on four arrays and with Alexa Fluor 647 on four arrays. Six biological replicates (12 fish) were used for the pituitary comparison (two female and four male).
Project description:Exposure to environmental contaminants like nonylphenol can disrupt smolt development and may be a contributing factor in salmon population declines. We used GRASP 16K cDNA microarrays to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the liver, gill, hypothalamus, pituitary, and olfactory rosettes of Atlantic salmon smolts treated with nonylphenol compared to control smolts. Nonylphenol treatment was confirmed using physiological assays: nonylphenol-treatment significantly decreased gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity and plasma cortisol and T3 levels.
Project description:Exposure to environmental contaminants like nonylphenol can disrupt smolt development and may be a contributing factor in salmon population declines. We used GRASP 16K cDNA microarrays to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the liver, gill, hypothalamus, pituitary, and olfactory rosettes of Atlantic salmon smolts treated with nonylphenol compared to control smolts. Nonylphenol treatment was confirmed using physiological assays: nonylphenol-treatment significantly decreased gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity and plasma cortisol and T3 levels. Microarray analyses were used to compare expression in nonylphenol-injected fish with expression in vehicle-injected fish: eight arrays each for liver, gill, olfactory rosettes, hypothalamus, and pituitary tissues. Total RNA was isolated from the tissues of eight nonylphenol-injected fish (six males and two females) and eight vehicle-injected fish (two males and six females) and reverse transcribed separately (not pooled); each slide represents a biological replicate. For each tissue, the eight arrays were balanced for dye: nonylphenol-injected fish were labeled with Alexa Fluor 555 and vehicle-injected fish were labeled with Alexa Fluor 647 on four slides, nonylphenol-injected fish were labeled with Alexa Fluor 647 and vehicle-injected fish were labeled with Alexa Fluor 555 on four slides. Liver, gill, hypothalamus, pituitary, and olfactory rosette tissues were analyzed separately.
Project description:Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) pre-smolt optic tectum, saccus vasculosus and gill tissues were collected over a light:dark (LD, 8:16) cycle, constant light (LL) and constant dark (DD) time series at a four hour resolution Total RNA was extracted, RNA quality was assessed using BIORAD Experion, then submitted to a bespoke clock gene NanoString CodeSet
Project description:High-quality sources of protein for the formulation of feeds of carnivorous fish species such as Atlantic salmon are currently being sought. In an earlier screening trial we evaluated for the first time in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) the applicability of air-classified faba bean (Vicia faba) protein concentrate (BPC) inclusions in combination with soy protein concentrate (SPC) and fishmeal (FM) using parr as a model. Based on the results in parr in freshwater, the present study tested the hypothesis that BPC can effectively replace SPC as a dietary protein source in post-smolt Atlantic salmon in seawater. Herein we compare three dietary treatments, including BPC0 (no BPC), BPC20 (20% BPC) and BPC40 (40% BPC). Full details on diet formulation are available in the publication.
Project description:We used gene expression accompanied by physical characteristics and gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity to analyze physiological differences associated with two life history variations of juvenile fall Chinook Salmon in the Snake River basin. Subyearlings originating in the Snake River typically migrate seaward as subyearlings, whereas many subyearlings from the Clearwater River delay seaward migration during summer and complete seaward migration the following spring as yearlings. We examined gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity and gene expression of subyearlings at different times during rearing and seaward emigration. Natural-origin Snake River subyearlings rearing under an increasing photoperiod and seasonally increasing temperatures showed a typical increasing pattern of parr to smolt gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity development, which then declined into autumn. In contrast, Clearwater River subyearlings that had experienced cooler temperatures showed no pattern of increasing gill Na+/K+-ATPase activities and were not different from parr. Liver transcription of genes involved in DNA repair and binding, the cell cycle, metabolism (steroid, fatty acid and other metabolic pathways) iron homeostasis, heme and oxygen binding, the immune response, and male sexual development were enriched amongst genes differentially expressed between Snake River parr versus smolts. Gene expression results confirmed that Clearwater River subyearlings were parr-like in their physiological status. By autumn, subyearlings had low gill Na+/K+-ATPase activities despite their large size and external smolt characteristics. We suggest that environmental factors like temperature and photoperiod influence subyearling physiological status in each river that ultimately dictates juvenile life history pathways.